Self-Management of Daily Living Skills: Development of Cognitively Accessible Software for Individuals with Autism

City:

Eugene

State/Province:

OR

State/Province Full:

Oregon

Country:

United States

This project will develop and field test a self-management software application that can be used by late-adolescents and adults with autism to monitor and manage their daily activities while at the same time interacting with caregivers in more self-determined and competent ways. The project will focus specifically on a multimedia application for enhancing self-management in the domains of personal care and household task management that will run on small, portable computers. Year 1 will focus on specification of software requirements, interface testing, and development guided by end user input from 5 individuals with autism and their family members. Year 2 will include continued prototype development and alpha testing of basic application functionality and interface controls, followed by a study in which both usability and changes in self-management competence will be examined. Project outputs will include a prototype self-management software application and technical reports which will be submitted for publication in major journals focused on autism and submitted for presentation at appropriate professional and family/consumer-oriented conferences. What this means for people with autism: This project seeks to improve the daily lives of individuals with autism by providing a mechanism for planning and conducting activities, as well as providing remote feedback of key event completion to caregivers. The products developed by this team should lead to increased autonomy by providing supports for navigating daily tasks successfully and providing important data to those assisting them in planning daily routines.